The current intermediate education system is faulty and one that requires immediate reformation. The questions set in the examination papers, test students’ memory rather than their intelligence. This method of testing is inadequate because if an average student successfully crams up a few important questions, they achieve higher results. Many good students do not perform well because they fail to cram up content from the advised textbook or specific notes made by specific publishers in the market. The examinations fail to test the basic intelligence of students and their strength of comprehension.
The reason for these inadequacies lies in the syllabus that is taught to students. Very often authors of the textbooks take data or entire chapters from different high-level books and use them in the textbooks without altering or explaining them. Consequently, the syllabus is too difficult for students to understand or comprehend on their own. They instead resort to memorising the course without fully grasping the concepts, which is accepted by the board.
However, rote learning does not equip students with any knowledge or skills. Even if students do perform well during the examinations, they are unlikely to be successful later at university and work. One solution for this lies in the overhaul of the entire education system. Textbooks need to be created from scratch — content should not be included arbitrarily. Relevant policymakers and education management systems must also maintain a quality check on education in schools.
Hassan Akhtar
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, November 6th, 2021.
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